Family member shocked I get universal credit

[JungleJungle]

Had a long conversation with a family member today. I've just started a new job so not sure how much UC I will get this month, but previously was earning about 1800 a month, £950 childcare costs and £950 rent and would get, around £800 in universal credit. They seemed to think that I earn enough money to pay for myself and said nobody on 30k a year should be getting universal credit. They were quite shocked that I was getting anything. Childcare costs and rent come to more than my wage (£1900). I would likely have to give up work if I didn't get universal credit. My outgoings would be more than my incoming. I still struggle even with the £700 I have left after rent and childcare costs. Bills are so high, fuel, food, clothes, emergencies etc. Not sure what I'm looking for from this thread. I work so hard, full time, and never considered that I shouldn't be entitled to universal credit. I'm not being unreasonable am I in thinking that this is what UC is for, am I? Apologies for the slightly waffly post, just feeling a bit shit.

I worked it out today I have to work 63 hours a week to earn enough not to claim uc thats with 1 child thats based off current rent at £500 a month

Women absolutely can and do force men to become fathers when they don’t want to be. And don’t give me the argument of “well he should have wrapped up then”

Speechless.

Do couples get more universal credit than single people? Even with 1900 on childcare and rent I would get zero UC if I was on 56k a year (that's a genuine question, not a judgemental one)

Never claimed UC however it appears it is just like the child benefit system, tax free childcare system, funded hours at nursery system, tax free allowances system and income tax system where yes, single parents are deliberately descriminated against by being taxed more/ receiving less help than a couple with the same household income. It is a disgrace to our country. And then they wonder why most child poverty is in single parent households. Doesn't take a genius ti figure out why. Anybody who cares about women and children would be campaigning to change this and provide support/ charge tax on a household basis as they do in Denmark, France and many other countries.

I wish it was done on a household basis rather than separating couples and single people. Or it was spread more equally. Seems odd that more should be awarded per person because someone is in a relationship.

More than odd. They have 48 hours per day to split work and childcare between them. A single parent is trying to do all of this in 24 so will obviously have higher costs, but gets less help/ is charge more tax. Go figure. It's completely deliberate and it's astonishing that nobody cares about this deliberate discrimination. Which is very deliverately aimed at women who make up around 90% of single parents.

Aim your ire at the absent father not the women who stay and do the work of two parents.

The UK now has a very low rate of single parenthood.

A high rate of single parenthood in itself is not a problem. The outcomes are very similar for children as long as you don't have a system that deliberately forces single parent households into higher levels of poverty, per my post about the tax system above.

I admire you OP! You are working hard and setting a good example for your DC of a great work ethic. I can only think that the person you were talking to is from a different generation and a bit out of touch!
dont let them get you down x

I’m a single parent working full time and getting UC.
Family members know I get UC but are shocked when I tell them I still have to pay for prescriptions, dentist, full council tax(with the 25% discount) and that my son won’t qualify for free school meals because I earn over £7400 a year. I also didn’t get healthy start vouchers.
The expression given by the media means that people presume you get all that if on UC but there are income thresholds for all of that.
UC basically pays for
my childcare and I have to ensure that I upload all receipts and even then sometimes it’s less than what I should get because of how the claim periods work!

Unless you are actually receiving UC it’s difficult to understand. There are also people who would be entitled but presume they aren’t so struggle even more.

Agree with this.

Though I'm old school and don't think people should reproduce if they aren't prepared to support offspring.

" If we didn't pay for it, I bet there are woman out there who would make better decisions when picking the father."

Totally agree with this.

Your family member is unreasonable to be so shocked and oblivious to childcare and housing cost....are they a boomer by any chance. I'm pleased people are gradually being educated that the reason I'm broke is not because I have a mobile phone or the occasional takeaway!
The government is BU though because in my eyes you should be able to survive on £30k without needing government handouts.
You might fit into the catorgy of 'well paid' workers being shamed for using food banks and advised to 'learn to budget'.

I guess I'm a bit surprised you qualify on 30k too - but my surprise is more that I had no idea our systems were so fair and took the enormous cost of childcare into account 😊 Did they say anything negative about it or just that they were surprised?

@JungleJungle a couple will need slightly more though s thats 2 adults to feed not just one and no council tax discount etc

@Antst another ageist post , we have also had low txes for the last 12 years or so and people have voted many under 40 for last 20 years
Also nothing wrong with selling council houses the issue was not replacing them with newer cheaper sustainable houses

I don’t think that sounds right tbh.. I earn less than you and have two kids and get less universal credit than you so yeah I’d be shocked too.

@Antst are you not aware anyway that even if fathers do pay , maintenance isn't taken into account for benefits ?
Plus plenty of men change , have affairs and leave , people don't know that will happen in many cases
On paper most can't afford kids but you have to look at wether you would be entitled to help , happy fo give up luxuries etc etc

@NameChagaiiiin you would be entitled on. Your dh wage if 30 k but if yours is 45k then combined iits 75k so yes not entitled , would it not be better you dh is the sahp if you earn £15 k more
But. Lot depends on if rent or mortgage as they don't pay towards a mortgage

I think boomer's are more aware than most as it's them having to help with childcare. This boomer is helping with dgc nursery fees.

It's time both parents were equally responsible for childcare fees regardless of the relationship status.

You can be earning over £50K and be entitled to UC if you have high rent and childcare costs. I was surprised too but it makes such a difference.

My rent is £1250 and childcare costs are the same. Doesn’t leave much per month for bills and food.

For context, this is the average rent in my area and the cheaper end of childcare costs for two kids. Can’t move anywhere else for anything cheaper, so UC is a lifeline for a lot of people.

This. I was also surprised that people need UC on a 30k salary but I hadn’t done the sums. They do sound a bit thick though to make you feel as though you don’t deserve it. Their joint salary is about 100k for one person. Surely they can see the chasm?

That would rule out the majority of people as only a minority are net contributors.

Oh I agree however it's always going to be more expensive running 2 homes so it depends how much residual income they have, but in theory, yes unless it's a 50/50 share.
BTW I don't feel all boomers are naive but sadly a lot are. My mother was in shock when after she suggested I look for a home with a 2nd bedroom and a garden, l explained I could not afford over £1000 each month.

@Antst lots of boomers didn't support council houses being sold off. Who do you think ousted the Tories in 1997?

My db's dc are the most Tory right wingers I've met. They're all in their 30's and would be much more likely than any boomer to blame you for your situation.
I'm a die hard labour supporter who was really affected by the rail strikes but still supports the workers.
If you want things to change you have to do something other than whinge on MN.

OP your relative is being an unkind idiot. It must have taken an enormous amount of hard work to achieve your doctorate. Personally I think you are underpaid at that level of education. I went back to work after 10 days post partum and 3 years after my dd. The latter was a mistake. I lost ground in my career. I think you are doing the right thing by working. Good for your mental health too.
We had a decade of poverty due to a burglary and l had caring duties so I had to stop work. I also developed a life long condition. I can earn pots of money (which I am happy to pay big tax on) or nothing. What I do find wrong as a married person I can't have my unemployment benefit as I have a DH on low public sector wages. If I don't have a job I have no personal money. Savings don't go very far when you live close to London.
Most ex council houses end up in the hands of private landlords and they charge £950 for a 2 bedroom property which would be capped at £400 for a social rent. This is what has caused house inflation. I also agree with the poster that says that many that could afford a mortgage don't move on freeing up social housing because they prefer more disposable income. I remember a Labour politition still hogging his council house! Post war council housing was designed to enable people to save and become socially mobile. Hence the low rents.
We claimed UC during covid as I was clinically vulnerable. It wasn't much but it helped keep a roof over our head. We had to give up our home and move somewhere smaller. I appreciate you can't do that. There is no shame in it. The shame is with the policy makers who haven't got a clue.

A state pension is entirely different. You’ve paid into that all your working life through NICs.and are more than entitled to it. It’s not a benefit.

But it's today's tax payers who are funding it there's not a stash of money somewhere - some people live to 67 some live to 105 so not a level playing field on payouts.
The Gov, due to raising the state pension age, should have had a pensions 'holiday' as people waited to get it but that money seems to have disappeared down a rabbit hole.